The Xbox Series S is a fantastic entry point into the world of next-gen gaming, offering impressive performance at a more affordable price. However, one of the most common questions potential buyers (and current owners) have is: how many games can it actually hold? The answer, as with most things in the tech world, isn’t a simple number. It depends on several factors, making it crucial to understand the nuances of storage capacity, game sizes, and external storage options.
Understanding the Xbox Series S Storage Space
The Xbox Series S boasts a custom 512GB NVMe SSD. This solid-state drive is what allows for incredibly fast loading times and contributes significantly to the overall performance. However, it’s important to understand that not all 512GB is usable.
The Usable Storage Reality
System software and operating system files consume a significant portion of the advertised storage. After accounting for these essential files, you’re left with approximately 364GB of usable storage space. This is a critical point to consider when deciding whether the Series S is right for you.
This smaller usable space compared to the Xbox Series X (which has a 1TB SSD but with similarly reduced usable space) is the primary reason why storage capacity is such a hot topic when discussing the Series S.
Game Size Variability
Game sizes vary dramatically. A small indie title might only take up a few gigabytes, while a massive open-world adventure like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Microsoft Flight Simulator can easily exceed 100GB. This variance makes it challenging to predict precisely how many games you can store on the internal drive.
Estimating Game Capacity: A Practical Approach
Trying to give a definitive answer to how many games the Series S can hold is like trying to predict the weather months in advance. However, we can provide some reasonable estimates based on the average game sizes.
Small and Indie Games: Space Savers
If you primarily play smaller indie games, you could potentially store a large number of titles on the internal drive. Many of these games are under 10GB, meaning you could realistically have dozens installed simultaneously. These titles often don’t require the full power of the next-gen console, allowing you to enjoy a diverse library without maxing out the storage.
AAA Titles: The Storage Hogs
AAA games, with their high-resolution textures, detailed environments, and sprawling storylines, are a different story. These titles can easily consume a significant chunk of your storage space. Storing multiple AAA games on the internal drive can quickly become a challenge.
A Realistic Example: AAA and Smaller Titles Combined
Let’s say you have a mix of AAA and smaller games. You might have Call of Duty (around 200GB with all the updates and content packs), Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (around 100GB), and a few smaller indie games (averaging 5-10GB each). In this scenario, you might only be able to keep two or three AAA titles installed at a time, along with a handful of smaller games.
Extending Your Storage: External Options
Fortunately, the Xbox Series S offers options for expanding your storage capacity. This is crucial for gamers who want to keep a large library of games readily available.
The Official Seagate Storage Expansion Card
The Seagate Storage Expansion Card is the official and most seamless way to expand the storage on your Xbox Series S (and Series X). This custom NVMe SSD plugs directly into the expansion port on the back of the console and provides the exact same performance as the internal drive. This is crucial for playing games optimized for the Series S/X, as they require the speed of an NVMe SSD.
However, these cards come at a premium price. They are available in different sizes, and the cost can be a significant investment.
External USB Hard Drives: A Budget-Friendly Solution
You can also use an external USB hard drive to store Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games, and to store (but not play) Xbox Series S/X optimized games. This is a more budget-friendly option, but there are some important limitations.
Playing Older Generation Games
You can directly play games that are not optimized for the Series S/X from an external USB hard drive. This is a great way to keep your older games accessible without taking up valuable space on the internal SSD or the Seagate Expansion Card.
Storing Series S/X Optimized Games
While you can store Series S/X optimized games on an external USB hard drive, you cannot play them directly from it. You’ll need to transfer them back to the internal SSD or the Seagate Expansion Card before you can launch them. This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s a viable option for archiving games that you’re not currently playing.
USB Drive Speed Considerations
When using an external USB hard drive, it’s important to use a USB 3.0 or faster drive to ensure reasonable transfer speeds. While the speed won’t match the internal SSD or the Seagate Expansion Card, it will still be significantly faster than using an older USB 2.0 drive.
Managing Your Storage Effectively
Regardless of whether you stick with the internal storage or invest in external options, managing your storage effectively is essential for a smooth gaming experience.
Deleting Games Strategically
The most obvious way to free up space is to delete games that you’re no longer playing. Consider which games you’ve finished or which ones you’re unlikely to revisit in the near future. Don’t be afraid to uninstall games; you can always re-download them later if you change your mind.
Utilizing Cloud Saves
Xbox Live Gold (or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) includes cloud saves, which allows you to save your game progress online. This means you can uninstall a game and re-download it later without losing your progress. This is a huge benefit for managing your storage and ensuring that your save data is safe.
Prioritizing Games
Think about which games you play most often and prioritize keeping those installed on the internal SSD or the Seagate Expansion Card. Games that you only play occasionally can be stored on an external USB hard drive and transferred when needed.
Factors Influencing Game Size
Several factors influence the size of a game, making it difficult to provide precise estimates.
Game Genre
Open-world games, simulation games, and games with extensive multiplayer modes tend to be larger than linear single-player games. This is because they require more assets, larger maps, and more complex systems.
Graphics and Textures
Games with high-resolution graphics and detailed textures will generally be larger than games with simpler visuals. The higher the visual fidelity, the more storage space is required.
Downloadable Content (DLC) and Updates
DLC and updates can significantly increase the size of a game. Many AAA games receive regular updates that add new content, fix bugs, and improve performance. These updates can often be quite large, so it’s important to factor them into your storage calculations.
Installation Files
Sometimes, installation files can take up additional space even after the game is fully installed. Clearing temporary files and cache can sometimes free up a bit of storage.
Conclusion: Making the Most of Your Xbox Series S Storage
The Xbox Series S offers excellent value for its price, but its storage capacity is a valid consideration. While the 364GB of usable internal storage might seem limiting, it’s manageable with strategic game management and the use of external storage options.
Understanding your gaming habits is key. If you primarily play smaller games or are comfortable deleting and re-downloading games, the internal storage might be sufficient. However, if you prefer to keep a large library of AAA titles readily available, investing in the Seagate Storage Expansion Card or an external USB hard drive is highly recommended. Ultimately, the “how many games” question depends on your individual needs and preferences. By understanding the factors that influence game sizes and utilizing the available storage options, you can maximize your gaming experience on the Xbox Series S. Choose the storage solution that best fits your needs and budget, and enjoy the incredible world of next-gen gaming.
What factors determine how many games can fit on my Xbox Series S?
The primary factor dictating how many games fit on your Xbox Series S is the size of each game. Games vary significantly in size, ranging from smaller indie titles that might be only a few gigabytes (GB) to massive AAA games that can exceed 100 GB. Installation files, updates, and downloadable content (DLC) further contribute to the overall storage space consumed by each game. Therefore, a mix of large and small games will impact the total number you can install.
Another crucial factor is the actual usable storage space available on the console. While the Xbox Series S comes with a 512GB SSD, a portion of this space is reserved for the operating system and system files. This leaves users with approximately 364GB of usable storage. Factoring in this limited space, along with the varying sizes of games, provides a clearer understanding of how many games the Series S can realistically hold.
How does the Xbox Series S storage compare to the Xbox Series X?
The Xbox Series S comes equipped with a 512GB SSD, offering significantly less storage than the Xbox Series X, which boasts a 1TB SSD. This difference in storage capacity directly translates to a smaller number of games that can be installed on the Series S compared to the Series X. While both consoles utilize the same fast SSD technology, the Series X simply offers more space for games, apps, and other content.
This disparity in storage is one of the key differentiators between the two consoles, reflecting their differing price points and target audiences. The Series X caters to users prioritizing maximum storage and graphical fidelity, while the Series S is designed as a more affordable and compact option, requiring users to be more mindful of their storage management.
Can I expand the storage on my Xbox Series S?
Yes, you can expand the storage on your Xbox Series S using officially licensed storage expansion cards. These cards, manufactured by Seagate, plug directly into the dedicated storage expansion port on the back of the console, seamlessly integrating with the internal SSD to provide additional storage at the same speed. This ensures optimal performance and eliminates any bottlenecks when playing games installed on the expansion card.
Alternatively, you can utilize external USB hard drives to store and play Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games. While these external drives are generally slower than the internal SSD or the Seagate expansion card, they offer a cost-effective way to store and play older titles. However, Xbox Series S/X optimized games must be played from the internal SSD or the Seagate expansion card for optimal performance.
What types of games take up the most storage space?
AAA titles, particularly those with high-resolution textures and open-world environments, typically consume the most storage space. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty, and Cyberpunk 2077 can each require over 100GB of storage due to their detailed graphics, extensive audio files, and vast game worlds. These games push the limits of console hardware and necessitate large installation sizes.
Games that feature frequent content updates, such as live service games and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), also tend to accumulate substantial storage requirements over time. These updates often include new maps, characters, items, and features, all of which contribute to the game’s overall file size. As a result, games that were initially smaller can gradually grow to consume a significant portion of the storage space.
How can I manage storage space on my Xbox Series S effectively?
A practical approach to managing storage space involves regularly reviewing your installed games and uninstalling titles you no longer play or rarely use. The Xbox dashboard provides tools to sort your games by size, allowing you to easily identify the largest files that are taking up the most space. By proactively removing unused games, you can free up valuable storage for new titles or updates.
Another effective strategy is to utilize cloud storage for game saves. Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers automatically benefit from cloud saves, allowing them to uninstall games without losing their progress. This is particularly useful for games with lengthy campaigns or extensive progression systems, as you can easily reinstall and resume playing at any time without starting over.
Will Smart Delivery affect the size of games on my Xbox Series S?
Smart Delivery is designed to download the optimized version of a game for the specific Xbox console you are using. Therefore, the Xbox Series S version of a Smart Delivery game might be smaller than the Xbox Series X version, as it may feature lower resolution textures and other graphical adjustments to suit the Series S’s capabilities.
However, the overall size difference between the two versions may not always be significant. While Smart Delivery aims to optimize game installations, the core gameplay content and many assets remain the same across both consoles. As a result, do not rely on Smart Delivery alone to drastically reduce the storage footprint of games on your Xbox Series S.
Does Quick Resume impact the available storage space on the Xbox Series S?
Quick Resume itself doesn’t directly impact the available storage space on your Xbox Series S in the same way that game installations do. Quick Resume saves the state of your games in a dedicated portion of the console’s system memory (RAM), allowing you to quickly switch between them. It’s important to distinguish this from the internal SSD storage used for installing games.
While Quick Resume doesn’t use up installable storage, it’s worth noting that having multiple games suspended in Quick Resume will consume system memory. However, this memory usage does not reduce the amount of storage space available for installing games or other content. The two are separate resources managed independently by the console.